Silent Night, Holy Night...
Do we really believe that it was a silent night? With everything going on and people being visited by angels and bright stars hanging in the sky, Mary giving birth in a stable full of animals and Joesph not having taken any Lamaze classes having to help with the birth. He was a carpenter not a doctor. If the Inn was full I am sure there was all kinds of loud noises and crying of children. Being outside there were people out and about even though it was probably pretty late. Maybe somebody had the night shift or was keeping a watch over their flock by night. Who knows what all was going on but I am sure that it was no where near silent.
We can dream that it was and that everyone was happy and in awe of the newborn baby. We can think that on this high holy moment, everyone stopped what they were doing, the world stood still for a little while and with easy and comfort, Jesus came into the world to be the best thing that ever happened for human kind. Jesus was born of flesh and of a human mother. He was the Son of God in human form. In order for that to be true the whole experience needed to be authentic. In order for that to happen there had to be labor pains and Mary telling Joseph that she didn't want to have this baby. She did want to get pregnant even though she knew what a great gift it was.
Joseph was surly scared out of his mind. Not sure what to do or how the help. Hopefully he had help from the Inn Keepers wife who probably saw a lot of births at the Inn and knew how to handle the birth of a child. He was excited and scared all at the same time, not calm at all. The animals I am sure were going crazy with all the noise and screaming coming from Mary. I am sure she muffled it but anything out of the normal would of gotten a rise out of the animals. They would of been trying to get out of the stable or figure out what was wrong. I am sure some of the animals even wanted to comfort Mary as many pets do when they know something is wrong or you are in pain.
The Shepherds were up on a hillside when an angel appears. I am sure there were gasps and screams. The sheep probably got loud and scared. Then there was a choirs of angels with I am positive was as loud as a football crowd. They were proclaiming the good news. I am sure that it was a far cry from a simple gazing that they shepherds were doing. They were scared and then became excited and rushed to see the new born King. That was far from a silent night.
Although I am sure it was not a silent night by any imagination, it by far was one of the holiest nights in the history of the world. It was a time in which the world changed, a time when God wanted to take a different approach to helping us here on earth. He gave us an opportunity to learn and to be saved from our sins. He put his Son here on earth. That night, in a stable, Jesus was born.
When that happened and Jesus was laying in his mother's arms and Joesph was standing over her smiling and looking down on the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, I am sure for a brief time all was quiet. All was right with the world and God gave us that silent moment when no sound was made and we knew what had happened here on earth. We knew that the Prince of Peace was born and was laying in a manger. So that brief period of time was when there was a silent night, but the whole night was a holy night! That is for sure.
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